The cycle becomes a monthly report card the body writes
Durante séculos, as mulheres aprenderam a suportar em silêncio o que o corpo lhes dizia em voz alta. A especialista Patrícia Lemos propõe uma inversão desse paradigma: o ciclo menstrual, com os seus mais de 150 sintomas documentados de tensão pré-menstrual, não é apenas uma realidade biológica a tolerar, mas um instrumento de leitura da saúde cardiovascular e metabólica. Numa época em que as doenças cardiovasculares e a diabetes matam mulheres em números que surpreendem quem ainda as considera doenças masculinas, conhecer o próprio ciclo pode ser o primeiro passo para uma intervenção precoce.
- Mais de 150 sintomas de tensão pré-menstrual estão documentados na literatura médica — dor abdominal, obstipação, cefaleias, desregulação emocional — e continuam a ser ignorados por mulheres que os aceitam como inevitáveis.
- A confusão entre normalidade e saúde cria uma barreira silenciosa ao diagnóstico: o que parece rotina pode esconder endometriose, alterações cardiovasculares ou perturbações metabólicas.
- As doenças cardiovasculares e a diabetes matam desproporcionalmente mais mulheres do que se reconhece publicamente, e desenvolvem-se de forma discreta, sem sinais de alarme óbvios.
- O ciclo menstrual, quando compreendido, revela padrões hormonais que afetam a pressão arterial, a regulação da glicemia e a função cardíaca — tornando-se um instrumento de vigilância da saúde.
- Patrícia Lemos apela a que as mulheres procurem aconselhamento médico e não dispensem os sinais do corpo, posicionando a literacia menstrual como estratégia de prevenção e não como patologização.
Patrícia Lemos fala sobre algo que a maioria das mulheres vive mas poucas compreendem verdadeiramente: o que o ciclo menstrual pode revelar sobre a sua saúde. Os sintomas que chegam com regularidade — dor abdominal intensa, obstipação, cefaleias persistentes, turbulência emocional súbita — não são aberrações. São sinais. E a medicina já documentou mais de 150 variações desses sinais no contexto da tensão pré-menstrual.
O problema, explica Lemos, é que as mulheres aprenderam a conviver com esses sintomas como se fossem simplesmente o preço da menstruação. Mas normalidade e saúde não são a mesma coisa. Uma dor abdominal severa pode indicar endometriose, ou algo mais. A aceitação acrítica do sofrimento torna-se, assim, um obstáculo ao diagnóstico.
O título do livro mais conhecido de Lemos resume a ideia com precisão: "Não é só sangue." O ciclo menstrual não é um evento biológico isolado — é uma janela para a saúde global. As hormonas que regulam a menstruação influenciam também o coração, o sistema metabólico, o humor e a energia. Uma mulher que conhece o seu ciclo pode notar quando algo muda, quando o padrão se quebra, quando o corpo está a tentar dizer que algo não está bem. E isso é particularmente relevante face às doenças cardiovasculares e à diabetes, que matam muitas mulheres cada ano, desenvolvendo-se em silêncio, sem anúncios dramáticos.
A mensagem de Lemos é direta: procure aconselhamento médico. Não assuma que a dor é normal. Não aceite a desregulação emocional como condição inerente a ser mulher. Os sintomas merecem atenção — alguns revelar-se-ão benignos, outros serão os primeiros sinais de condições que, detetadas cedo, podem ser geridas ou prevenidas. O ciclo, compreendido, deixa de ser um fardo e torna-se uma fonte de informação. E em medicina, a informação é frequentemente o primeiro passo para a saúde.
Patrícia Lemos sits down to talk about something most women experience but few understand fully: the monthly cycle and what it might be telling them about their health. The conversation begins with the symptoms that arrive like clockwork for many—sharp abdominal pain, constipation, a headache that won't quit, sudden emotional turbulence. These are not aberrations. They are signals. And there are more than 150 of them documented in medical literature, each one a variation on the theme of premenstrual tension.
The problem, Lemos explains, is that women have learned to live with these symptoms as though they were simply the price of menstruation. They take them as normal, expected, unremarkable. But normalcy and health are not the same thing. A woman might experience severe abdominal pain and assume it is just how her body works. She might not realize that the same pain could indicate endometriosis, or that it could be something else entirely. The assumption of normalcy becomes a barrier to diagnosis.
This is where knowledge of one's own cycle becomes a tool for survival. Lemos emphasizes that understanding the menstrual cycle is not about managing inconvenience. It is about recognizing patterns that might signal serious disease. Cardiovascular disease and diabetes kill many women each year—more than many people realize. These are not conditions that announce themselves with drama. They develop quietly, often without obvious warning. But the menstrual cycle, tracked and understood, can offer early clues. Hormonal changes that occur across the month can affect blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, and cardiovascular function. A woman who knows her cycle might notice when something shifts, when the pattern breaks, when her body is trying to tell her something is wrong.
The title of Lemos's best-known book captures this idea simply: "It's Not Just Blood." The menstrual cycle is not an isolated biological event confined to one part of the body. It is a window into overall health. The hormones that regulate menstruation also influence the heart, the metabolic system, mood, energy, and dozens of other functions. When a woman understands this connection, she gains the ability to advocate for herself. She can describe her symptoms with precision. She can recognize when something has changed. She can push back against the dismissal that has historically met women's health complaints.
Lemos's message is clear: seek medical counsel. Do not assume that pain is normal. Do not accept that emotional dysregulation is simply part of being a woman. Do not dismiss the signals your body is sending. The symptoms of premenstrual tension—all 150 documented variations—deserve attention. Some will turn out to be nothing serious. Others will be the early warning signs of conditions that, caught early, can be managed or prevented. The cycle itself becomes a form of health literacy, a monthly report card that a woman learns to read.
This is not about pathologizing menstruation or treating the cycle as a disease. It is about recognizing that the body speaks, and that listening to it—really listening, with medical guidance—can change outcomes. For women facing the risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, that listening could be the difference between early intervention and late-stage diagnosis. The cycle, understood, becomes not a burden but a source of information. And information, in medicine, is often the first step toward health.
Notable Quotes
Not all menstrual pain is endometriosis, but women should seek medical evaluation rather than assume symptoms are normal— Patrícia Lemos
Understanding the menstrual cycle contributes to overall women's health—it's not just about menstruation— Patrícia Lemos
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does understanding the menstrual cycle matter for cardiovascular health specifically? They seem unrelated.
They're not. The hormones that regulate menstruation affect blood pressure, blood vessel function, and how the body processes glucose. A woman who tracks her cycle might notice her blood pressure rises in certain phases, or that her energy crashes in ways that signal metabolic stress. These are early warnings.
But couldn't a woman just go to a doctor and get tested for these things?
She could, and she should. But most women don't know to ask. They don't connect their monthly symptoms to larger health risks. A doctor sees a patient once a year. The cycle is a daily record the woman herself can keep.
So you're saying women should become their own diagnosticians?
Not diagnosticians. Observers. There's a difference. A woman who knows her cycle can describe her symptoms precisely to a doctor. She can say, "This happens in the luteal phase," or "My headaches have gotten worse." That precision changes the conversation.
What about the 150 symptoms? That seems like a lot. How does a woman know which ones matter?
That's exactly why medical counsel is essential. Not all symptoms are serious. But the fact that there are so many documented variations means that what one woman experiences as normal might be a sign of something that needs attention in another woman. A doctor can help sort that out.
Is this about prevention, or about catching disease early?
Both. If a woman understands her cycle, she might change her diet or exercise in ways that support her cardiovascular health during high-risk phases. And if something is wrong, she'll notice it sooner. Prevention and early detection work together.